Splish Splash
by MinervaDeannaBond
Summary: Eight months after Skyfall, M has fully recovered and is spending a sweltering summer day at the office. She takes herself off to the pool... only to be joined by Bond for a splash fight. 00M fluff. :)


It's snowing today, which has put me in a summer mood, so... I've written this sweet little summery one-shot. Eight months after Skyfall, M has fully recovered and is spending a sweltering hot July day at the office, and eventually takes herself off to the pool... where Bond joins her for a splash fight. Fluffy 00M romance for my darling readers!

Dedicated to RebaForever15, whose wonderful one-shots were my inspiration. You rock, girl!

* * *

"I've brought you some water, ma'am."

"Thank God; let me have it. Better yet, just pour it right over my head. Anything to stop me from sweating like a pig."

Bill Tanner looked first from the frosty glass of ice water in his hand to his boss, who was standing before him in her black skirt and the matching sleeveless top she had worn under her suit jacket, which was cast across the back of her chair like a discarded rag. At the present time, he really didn't blame her – it was a hot, sticky July afternoon in London. British summers were never fun and always unpredictable when it came to the weather, but the weatherman today had promised a forecast like a day at the beach. Right. A day at a beach near the Equator, more like. "You know, if Gareth Mallory were here, he'd probably say you'd melt if I poured this over your head."

Her skin might have been flushed pink from the heat, but M's blue eyes were still like ice as she rolled them at Tanner's remark. "Sod him. He can't stand the fact that he's no longer top dog around here now that I'm back."

Tanner grinned, thinking what a miracle it was to have her back in the first place. Eight months ago, M had received a severe gun wound to the hip while on the Skyfall mission with James Bond, a wound that she had nearly died from. But thanks to Bond's radio distress signal and some chopper intervention from MI6, they had gotten to Scotland in the nick of time and airlifted M to the hospital, where the doctors had, by the grace of God Almighty, pulled her through. Now, she was celebrating her second month back at the office, but the joy was spoiled by the malfunctioning of the ventilation system in the underground facilities. The AC was broken and some idiot trying to play Mr. Wizard had gotten the heater going full blast and was consequently unable to turn it off. Now, Q had been dispatched to the scene of the crime to work his magic and everybody else was sporting perspiration stains – not the fashion statement of the year by a long shot.

"It's good to have you back, M. Not a day goes by where I don't thank God for keeping you alive and bringing you back to us," he said warmly, handing her the glass of water.

With a smile, M swallowed a big gulp of water before touching the frigid surface of the glass to her face and neck. "This from the man who once referred to me as the 'Evil Queen of Numbers'? Years ago, I was the boss from hell; now I'm a gift from God? What made you change your mind?"

Tanner shrugged and said simply, "I got to know you."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Not really."

"You cheeky lummox!" M aimed a smack at Tanner's arm, but he laughed and ducked out of the way just as she swung out. Shaking her head, she took another gulp of water. "I might as well go to the gym and jump in the pool."

"Because the water's not enough to cool you off?"

"No, because I've had enough of your impertinent presence for one day," M retorted sardonically, setting the glass down on her desk. "Yes, it's because not even an entire cooler full of water is enough to cool me off. It feels like Hades down here." She grabbed her jacket off her chair and set off for the door. "Take over. I'll have my mobile on if you need me."

"Try not to melt when you jump in!" Tanner called after M's retreating back, figuring he'd push his luck one more time.

"Bog off, Tanner!" M called over her shoulder as she took her leave.

* * *

The only smart thing Gareth Mallory had done during his brief tenure as _pro tempore _head of MI6, as far as M was concerned, was to authorize the construction of the underground gym, complete with training room and swimming pool for the agents to work out in and blow off some steam when necessary. The project had turned out to be a success and a blessing, particularly for anybody who needed to take their frustrations out, and M's double-0's were frequently seen beating the crap out of the punching bags and dummies set up in the gym. On a hot day like today, everybody and their brother were pushing and shoving to crowd together in the pool, but oddly enough, there wasn't a soul to be seen when M arrived at the gym.

_Why, I wonder? _M took a mental count in her head. All of the technicians from Q Branch were at their Quartermaster's beck and call that afternoon, due to the repairs needed to the ventilation system. The ones who had desk jobs were stuck behind the aforementioned desks with their phones glued to their ears, keeping tabs on the latest bulletins to and from 10 Downing Street. The double-0's were scattered around the globe chasing down criminals, terrorists, and other assorted nuts, and the secretaries and clerks under M and Tanner's command were currently running their bums off back and forth to the hospital, where Mallory had gone in for surgery that morning. M scoffed at the very thought – everyone was acting like he was having a triple bypass when he was really having a simple appendectomy. Of course, Mallory took the opportunity to milk the situation for all it was worth if he had a fart crossways, so it was really no surprise.

Any road, M was just happy to have the pool all to herself. Stripping down to the bathing costume she had worn under her suit, she dove headfirst into the pool and sliced through the cool water, letting it welcome her into its depths and bring sweet relief to her sweltering skin. When she broke the surface, M sighed with delight and pushed off, swimming a few laps from one end of the pool to the other before floating on her back. Ah, now this was bliss. Just her, floating along without care or anybody to pester her…

"You look good wet."

Startled out of her wits, M flailed in the water and sank beneath the surface, bursting up out of the water coughing and spitting, the taste of chlorine burning her mouth. Fuming, she looked around to see what stupid prat had had the utter gall to spoil her one moment of peace, and sure enough, there he stood, wearing a T-shirt and swim trunks, of all the nerve. "You absolute _moron_," she growled, once she managed to stop coughing. "Don't you have anything better to do than to come in here and scare the living daylights out of me?"

"No."

The childish answer just infuriated M even more. "If you think you're going to get in this pool and swim with me, you've got another think coming, 007."

From his position at the edge of the pool, James Bond merely grinned. "I don't _think_; I know. Not bad for an absolute moron, don't you think?"

"Don't play Rene Descartes with me." M sighed. "Bond, why are you even here in the first place? Do you just enjoy giving me grief?"

Bond's cocky grin suddenly vanished. "No, I don't enjoy it in the slightest. Taking the mickey, yes, but giving you actual grief? No. I just wanted to spend a little time with you, is all. I've hardly seen you since you've been back to work, and when I saw you going to the gym, I thought I'd change into my trunks and join you. It's hotter than blazes in here, and besides…" He knelt down and flicked some water in M's direction. "You need a partner to have a splash fight."

"You are so lucky I don't have my gun."

"Considering that you couldn't hit the side of a barn if you were two feet away from it, I'd call that pretty dumb luck." Bond barked a laugh when M sent a spray of water in his direction, dotting his T-shirt. "I'll take that as an invitation."

"You'll take it as a declaration of war. Get your bum in here and splash me, and make it good."

"With pleasure." Within seconds, Bond had skinned his T-shirt over his head and dived in, but M wasn't thinking about the upcoming splash fight. _He really is beautiful, _she thought, eyeing his toned muscles and strong chest, marked though it was with the scars of his fieldwork. She didn't care about the scars; they only made him even more beautiful to her, because he'd taken every single one of them for her, for her honor. It was just one of the reasons why she'd come to realize just how much she really loved him, even more so after he'd saved her life at Skyfall.

"You're blushing," Bond said, swimming over to her and smiling.

"No, I'm not!" M said, though she could feel her cheeks burning red, the devil take them.

"Yes, you are! You're blushing, M!" Bond teased, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Bog off, Bond!" M cried, smacking her hands against the water and sending a wave of it splashing squarely into Bond's face. All he did was let rip a triumphant laugh.

"That's my girl!" he crowed with joy before returning her splash with a veritable tidal wave of his own. For the next ten minutes, water flew in all directions and laughter bounced off the walls of the gym as Bond and M splashed each other, forever in danger of getting more water on the floor than there was in the pool.

"You like what you see! Admit it!"

"Hell has a better chance of freezing over!"

"Admit it, or I'll tickle it out of you!"

"You wouldn't dare, 007!"

She had said the wrong thing, for Bond ducked underwater and swam toward her with the speed of a great white shark. M launched herself through the water and tried to swim for the steps, but she wasn't quite fast enough. The next instant, she shrieked as Bond seized her around the waist and yanked her close, scuttling his hands across her stomach and sending her into screams of laughter. "Bond, let me go!"

"Admit it; you like me!"

"No!" M cried, tears of laughter pouring down her cheeks as Bond worked his hands under her arms and sent her body into more mirthful convulsions.

"Say it, or I won't stop!"

"I…"

"Say it!"

"I…"

"Say it!"

"I LOVE YOU!"

More magic couldn't have been done if M had shouted "Abracadabra." Bond stopped tickling her, yet kept his arms twined around her waist, regarding her with awe and, if the glow in his eyes was anything to go by, sheer ecstasy. "You love me?"

Breathless, M nodded. "Yes, I do. I've wanted to tell you ever since Skyfall, but I never found the chance. I was always too afraid of what people would think; a woman my age in love with the great James Bond. But you saved my life, fought for me… took so many scars for my honor," she murmured, tracing the scar on his chest with a gentle finger; he closed his eyes at her touch. "Too many times I've asked myself why you took these scars for me and still bear them."

Bond's smile grew tender and he reached out to stroke her wet silver hair, gleaming with water droplets. "The same reason anybody would take scars and lay down his life for someone: because there's no greater love on Earth." When M's sapphire eyes widened, he nodded. "Yes, M. I love you, too."

"Oh, James…" M was silenced by the sweetest kiss she'd felt in a long time, surrounded by the coolness of the water and the warmth of Bond's love.


End file.
